A guide to choosing the right domain name for your organization, business, product or brand

The Internet is a global network of interconnected devices and communication systems that enables individuals to access a wide range of information and resources from anywhere in the world. The origins of the Internet can be traced back to the 1960s, when the US Department of Defense created a network of computers to exchange information and facilitate communication among researchers and scientists. This network, known as ARPANET, became the foundation for the Internet as we know it today. Over the past few decades, the Internet has undergone a remarkable transformation, becoming an essential tool for communication, commerce, education, and entertainment. The advent of the web in the 1990s marked a major milestone in the evolution of the Internet, as it enabled individuals to publish and access information in a decentralized manner. Today, the Internet is an ever-expanding ecosystem that comprises billions of websites, social media platforms, e-commerce sites, online communities, and more – all of which are powered by advanced technologies and infrastructure that enable quick, reliable access to information and services.

The Domain Name System (DNS) enables user-friendly alphanumeric namesâ€"domain namesâ€"to be assigned to Internet sites. Many of these names have gained economic, social, and political value, leading to conflicts over their ownership, especially names containing trademarked terms. Congress, in P.L. 105-305, directed the Department of Commerce to request the NRC to perform a study of these issues. When the study was initiated, steps were already underway to address the resolution of domain name conflicts, but the continued rapid expansion of the use of the Internet had raised a number of additional policy and technical issues. Furthermore, it became clear that the introduction of search engines and other tools for Internet navigation was affecting the DNS. Consequently, the study was expanded to include policy and technical issues related to the DNS in the context of Internet navigation. This report presents the NRC's assessment of the current state and future prospects of the DNS and Internet navigation, and its conclusions and recommendations concerning key technical and policy issues.

As the first form of truly rivalrous digital property, Internet domain names raise many challenges for law and policy makers. Analyzing the ways in which past disputes have been decided by courts and arbitrators, Jacqueline Lipton offers a comprehensive, global examination of the legal, regulatory and policy issues that will shape the future of Internet domain name governance. This comprehensive examination of domain name disputes involving personal names and political and cultural issues sheds light on the need to balance trademark policy, free speech and other pressing interests such as privacy and personality rights. The author stresses that because domain names can only be registered to one person at a time, they create problems of scarcity not raised by other forms of digital assets. Also discussed are the kinds of conflicts over domain names that are not effectively addressed by existing regulations, as well as possible regulatory reforms. Internet Domain Names, Trademarks and Free Speech brings pivotal new insights to bear in intellectual property and free speech discourse. As such, policymakers, scholars and students of intellectual property, cyber law, computer law, constitutional law, and e-commerce law will find it a valuable resource.

This topical book examines the regulatory framework for introducing generic Top-Level Domains on the Internet. Drawn up by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), these rules form part of a growing body of transnational private regulation, complementing national and international law. The book elucidates and discusses how ICANN has tackled a diverse set of economic and regulatory issues, including competition, consumer protection, property rights, procedural fairness, and the resolution of disputes.